J.A. Bayona for ‘The Impossible’

Eye on the Oscars: The Director

In order to tell the true story of one family’s survival of the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Bayona had to recreate the disaster itself. Working with real Thai locations, the Spanish helmer prepped for almost two years and shot for 25 weeks on more than 60 sets. Eschewing CG trickery, the production worked with six special effects companies on the 10-minute sequence, moving more than 35,000 gallons of water daily to recreate the killer wave.